Tag Archives: DEA

Four Men Arrested and Charged with Drug and Firearm Offenses

February 21, 2013blogarrest, ATF, criminal complaint, DEA, felon, firearms, heroin, HSI, ICE, MSP, narcotics, US AttorneyAlex Meyerovich

Federal criminal complaints filed in the District of Maryland charge four men, initially arrested and charged in Worcester County,Md., with gun and drug violations. The charges follow an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Maryland State Police (MSP), Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Berlin Police Department and the Ocean City Police Department with the assistance of the Worcester County State’s Attorney Office.

Tony Lamont Mills, 32, of Berlin,Md., has been charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon. The second criminal complaint charges Ramon M. Diamos, 47, and Arlon J. Macatangay, 51, both of Jersey City, N.J., and Ricky Ibanga, 38, of Bayonne, N.J., with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

The State’s Attorney for Worcester County Beau Oglesby said, “I applaud the combined efforts of Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, the Ocean City Police Department, the Berlin Police Department, ATF and HSI for their investigations in these cases. The adoption of these cases by the United States Attorney’s Office demonstrates the strength of the relationship between local and federal authorities as we work together to pursue the eradication of controlled dangerous substances from our streets and to remove the criminals who are armed with illegal firearms from our communities.”

According to Mills’ criminal complaint, on at least two occasions in August 2012, an undercover police detective conducted two hand to hand purchases of heroin from Mills after meeting Mills in his vehicle. On Aug. 31, 2012, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mills’ residence and discovered Mills hiding in a bedroom closet, where officers also located a loaded .32 caliber revolver and a box of .32 caliber ammunition. During the search, officers also recovered heroin, marijuana and drug packaging material.

Mills faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and up to life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mills also had an initial appearance Feb. 13 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore and is detained.

According to the statement of facts filed in support of the arrest of Diamos, Macatangay and Ibanga, the three were pulled over by a MSP trooper on Route 13, near the Virginia state line for a traffic stop. The trooper learned that Diamos was wanted on a New Jersey warrant and he was subsequently arrested. A clear glass pipe and a small amount of methamphetamine were recovered from Diamos’ front pants pocket. During a subsequent search of the car, the trooper discovered a manilla envelope that contained 240 grams of crystal methamphetamine and a receipt in Macatangay’s name. Macatangay and Ibanga were then arrested and additional methamphetamine was recovered from Macatangay’s jacket pocket.

Diamos, Macatangay and Ibanga face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Diamos, Macatangay and Ibanga had an initial appearance Feb. 13 in U.S. District Court inBaltimoreand are detained. Ibanga is scheduled for a detention hearing Feb. 15.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Christopher J. Romano.

A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

Guatemalan National Extradited to Florida to Face Drug Smuggling Charges

February 15, 2013blogarrest, Coast Guard, cocaine, criminal alien, DEA, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, extradition, FBI, Guatemala, HSI, ICE, indictment, Panama Express Strike ForceAlex Meyerovich

A Guatemalan drug smuggler was extradited to Tampa Friday, February 8, 2013, following an investigation by the Panama Express Strike Force, a task force that targets maritime smuggling. The strike force consists of several federal agencies, including: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Joint Interagency Task Force – South; and, the United States Marshals Service. The Guatemala government and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies also assisted with the investigation.

Alma Lucrecia Hernandez-Preciado, aka “La Tia,” 40, of Tecun Uman,Guatemala, was indicted in the Middle District of Florida Sept. 22, 2011, for violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.

According to the indictment, Hernandez-Preciado helped organize the maritime smuggling of cocaine shipments into the United States. She was allegedly involved in a May 2011 drug smuggling venture where the crew of a go-fast boat was interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Guatemala, and law enforcement authorities seized 347 kilograms of cocaine. Hernandez-Preciado is charged with participating in a conspiracy with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. She is also charged with helping others distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.

Hernandez-Preciado was arrested in Guatemala Oct. 10, 2011. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

Mexican Drug Smugglers Sentenced for Cocaine Conspiracy

February 13, 2013blogarrest, cocaine, cocaine trafficking, DEA, deportation, detention, drug smuggler, drug trade, drug trafficker, ERO, guilty plea, HSI, ICE, narcotics, removal, sentencingAlex Meyerovich

Two Mexican drug traffickers were sentenced Friday, February 8, 2013, for their roles in a cocaine conspiracy. The sentence is the result of an extensive investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Genaro Torres, 58, formerly of Laredo,Texas, and Maria E. Garcia, 64, formerly of Houston,Texas, were both sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer in Rochester.

Torres, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In addition, Torres forfeited $750,000 in U.S. currency, which he admitted constituted or derived from proceeds he obtained as a result of his illegal drug activity.

Garcia, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to four years in prison by Judge Larimer.

According to court documents, the defendants were involved with a group of individuals that distributed over 150 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico in the United States between 1991 and 2008. During the course of the conspiracy, cocaine was transported to, and distributed in, Rochester by members of the conspiracy. Cocaine was also provided to Houston,Chicago,New York, Atlanta, and the New England region of the country.

Since the early 1990s, Torres was involved in transporting quantities of cocaine across the Mexican-Texas border in the area of Laredo and thereafter distributing the cocaine. Torres was found by the court to have acted as a manager or supervisor in this extensive drug distribution activity. Between 2000 and 2008, Torres arranged at times for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine to individuals in Houston.

As for Maria Garcia, by early 2000, this defendant was selling cocaine in Houston after being supplied by Torres. Between February and April 2000, Torres arranged the delivery of over 50 kilograms of cocaine in Houston to Garcia or her customers. Torres and Garcia are Mexican citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States. It is anticipated that both Torres and Garcia will be deported by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations upon the completion of their sentences.

“It’s often said that crime doesn’t pay and in this case that is especially true,” said U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr., Western District of New York. “The hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors has led to the take down of a major drug conspiracy. But in addition, we have literally taken the profit out of this particular crime syndicate. The money being forfeited will now be put to a much more positive use including continued crime fighting efforts.”

HSI and the DEA were assisted in the investigation by the Rochester Police Department and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Sherman, Western District of New York, prosecuted this case on behalf of the U.S. government.

New York Man Charged with Narcotics Trafficking

February 6, 2013blogarrest, CBP, cocaine, DEA, drug smuggling, drug trade, HSI, ICE, narcotics, narcotics traffickingAlex Meyerovich

A New York man who attempted to smuggle nearly two pounds of cocaine out of the United States concealed inside his body faces more than six years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday, January 17, 2013, to federal drug charges.

Emmanuel Amankwa, 55, of New York City, was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport Oct. 23, 2012, just prior to boarding a flight for Japan. An investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Amankwa was carrying 995 grams of cocaine in 100 latex-wrapped pellets inside his body. Amankwa pleaded guilty Thursday, January 17, 2013, to possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Amankwa was initially charged in a criminal complaint filed the day of his arrest. A federal grand jury subsequently returned a one-count indictment against him Nov. 8, 2012.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Amankwa faces a sentence of 60 to 80 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. He must also pay $16,178 in restitution for the medical costs associated with collecting the cocaine pellets he had ingested. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White is scheduled to sentence Amankwa April 11.

Nicaraguan National Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Conspiracy

February 5, 2013blogarrest, cocaine, DEA, drug smuggling, drug trafficking, HSI, ICE, illegal firearms, narcotics smuggling, Nicaragua, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, weapons traffickingAlex Meyerovich

A Nicaraguan man was sentenced Thursday, January 31, 2013, to 19 years and seven months in prison on drug trafficking conspiracy charges and 15 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to provide weapons to a designated terrorist organization. The sentences resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

During the conspiracy, Franklin William McField-Bent, aka “Buda,” 55, had numerous meetings and phone calls with undercover Colombian law enforcement officers who claimed to be members of a foreign terrorist organization. McField-Bent tried to help them obtain weapons, which he believed would be used in attacks on the Colombian government. In March 2010, McField-Bent arranged the sale of six grenade launchers, 20 grenades, an Uzi submachine gun and 100 rounds of ammunition to the undercover officers. He also admitted to participating in three shipments of cocaine originating in Central America, all while knowing they were destined for the United States. Each shipment consisted of hundreds of kilograms of the drug.

“The arrest, conviction and subsequent sentencing of McField-Bent is an important accomplishment for theU.S.government and its international partners due to the magnitude of his criminal violations and the threat to the homeland,” said Alysa D. Erichs, special agent in charge of HSI Miami. “We will continue to work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle drug and weapons trafficking organizations.”

Organized crime drug enforcement task forces identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, as well as those organizations responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

20 Indicted for Marijuana Trafficking Ring

January 22, 2013blogarrest, ATF, DEA, drug trafficking, HIDTA, HSI, ICE, indictment, IRS, IRS-CI, marijuana, narcotics, OCDETF, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task ForceAlex Meyerovich

A federal indictment, returned by a grand jury December 2012, was unsealed Friday, January 18, 2013, charging 20 Dallas-Fort Worth area residents with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.

More than half of the defendants are in custody, following an operation this week conducted by the following law enforcement agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Dallas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA); the Desoto, Dallas, Balch Springs, Arlington and Midlothian police departments; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

During the course of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation, law enforcement executed federal and state search warrants that resulted in the seizure of about 25 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, more than 600 marijuana plants, 10 vehicles and five firearms.

The indictment charges the below-named defendants in the drug conspiracy:

Sylvespa Eugene Adams, aka “Sylvesta Adams,” “Pa,” and “Paw,” 25,
Alma Diane Smith, aka “Diane Williams,” 30,
Michael Wayne-Cortez Ayers, aka “Big Mike,” 33,
Isaac Demon Mathis, aka “Ike” “Issac Damone Mathis,” 30,
David Laploise Jones, aka “Nino,” 31,
Kory Lamonte Crayton, aka “Mokmu Tave” and “Coon,” 39,
Taurus Kion Silmom, aka “T.K.,” 30,
Nathan Dewayne Brown, 21,
Connell Heads, 50,
Marvin Jamel Fantroy, aka “Seven,” 32,
Lamondrius Denard Kidd, 28,
Modrick Jamal Spencer, 28,
Waymon Madison, 39,
Edward Lee Witherspoon, 50,
Robin James Criss, aka “June Bug,” 30,
Andre Demacus Reid, aka “Black,” 27,
Rachael O’Neal, 20,
Natasha Brown, 34,
Jovanna Renee Bonner, 19, and
Precious Starr Lecreas Gowans, 30.

Defendants Sylvespa Eugene Adams and Alma Diane Smith are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleges that since January 2010, Adams and Smith conspired together, and with others, to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of their crime that were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source or ownership of the proceeds. The indictment alleges the following:

they stored and concealed drug proceeds,
caused cash to be transported as payment for drugs,
disposed of proceeds derived from the distribution and sale of narcotics by purchasing assets to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds,
structured deposits of U.S. currency, and
used a business front to create the appearance of a legitimate of source of funds to hide the true nature and source of the funds.

A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury; a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana count carries a statutory sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison and a $5 million fine. The conspiracy to commit money laundering count, upon conviction, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.

In addition, the indictment includes a forfeiture allegation, which would require convicted defendants to forfeit the proceeds of their criminal activity. It would also require some of the defendants, upon conviction, to forfeit numerous vehicles, including a Mercedes, a Porsche and a Bentley, as well as numerous pieces of real estate.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy, Northern District of Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.

HSI Target Operation Seizes 2,600 Pounds of Cocaine

January 8, 2013blogarrest, Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, CBP, CCSF, Coast Guard, cocaine, DEA, detention, dominican republic, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, FBI, HSI, ICE, narcotics smuggling, Puerto Rico Police DepartmentAlex Meyerovich

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with other members of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), arrested two Dominican Republic nationals for drug trafficking and seized 2,600 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $29 million Wednesday, January 2, 2013, off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.

“In less than one week HSI and its partners in the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force have seized more than 2,800 pounds of cocaine,” said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “These seizures and related arrests are clear proof that HSI, along with our state and federal partners, is vigilant and will not tolerate the importation of illegal drugs into the United States through Puerto Rico.”

Earlier the week ending in Friday, January 4, 2013, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted a private vessel 43 nautical miles off of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, occupied by two Dominican Republic nationals and carrying 40 bales with approximately 2,600 pounds of cocaine. According to the criminal complaint, Jose De Leon and Wilson Concepción, both 40, knowingly and intentionally conspired to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The District of Puerto Rico was the first point where the defendants entered the United States after the commission of the offense.

De Leon and Concepción were transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center in Puerto Rico awaiting the outcome of their case.

CCSF is an initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of HSI, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Puerto Rico Police Department’s United Forces for Rapid Action.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected weapons and narcotics smuggling and related information by calling at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

7 Alaskans Indicted for Drug Trafficking Ring that Resulted in Death

December 21, 2012blogAlaska, Anchorage, Anchorage Police Department, arrest, DEA, drug ring, drug trade, drug trafficking, HSI, ICE, indictment, narcotics, USPISAlex Meyerovich

Seven Anchorage-area residents were indicted Thursday, December 13, 2012, by a federal grand jury for operating a methylone production and distribution ring, which ended in the drug related death of a co-conspirator.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Anchorage Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team.

The 22-count indictment announced Monday, December 10, 2012, alleges that Robin Michael Gattis, 19, of Wasilla; Chad Cameron, 18, of Palmer; Stephen Kimbrell, 20, of Soldotna; Kevin Rupp, 21, of Anchorage; Shane O’Hare, 23, of Wasilla; Bren Marx, 20, of Palmer; and Haylee Hays, 19, of Anchorage, conspired to import methylone powder from China to Alaska and distributed it between September 2011 and July. Methylone, more commonly known as “M1,” is a stimulant chemically similar to MDNA or Ecstasy.

Gattis is charged with distributing methylone, resulting in the April death of a co-conspirator identified in the indictment only as “M.G.S.” Gattis is also charged with four counts of unlawfully importing methylone. Gattis, O’Hare and Rupp are charged with possession of methylone with intent to distribute, and Gattis, Rupp, Marx, Kimbrell and Cameron are charged with attempted possession of methylone with intent to distribute. Gattis, Cameron, Hays and Kimbrell are all charged with international money laundering, based on allegations that they wired money to China via Western Union to pay for methylone shipments. The indictment also alleges that Gattis used minors to wire money to China to buy methylone and asked friends and associates to allow him to use their addresses to receive shipments.

According to the indictment, following the death of M.G.S., Gattis emailed his Chinese supplier advising of the death and asking for a refund. However, less than a month later, Gattis resumed his orders from the same supplier.

Gattis faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted on the charge of distribution resulting in death, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years. Each of the other 21 remaining charges in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Scheme that Resulted in Two Murders

December 11, 2012blogarrest, criminal activity, DEA, Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gange Section, drug smuggling, drug trafficking, gang, gang activity, guilty plea, homicide, ICE, international gang activity, money laundering, MPD, MS-13, murder, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, racketeeringAlex Meyerovich

Dennis L. Gil-Bernardez, an MS-13 member who also is known as Pando, pled guilty Friday, December 7, 2012, to taking part in a federal racketeering conspiracy that was responsible for numerous crimes, including two murders, in the Washington, D.C., region. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. of the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Gil-Bernardez, 36, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Rosemary M. Collyer sentenced him to 76 years in prison. The sentence will run concurrently with an 80-year prison term that Gil-Bernardez already is serving in another gang-related case in Virginia.

The defendant was among a group of MS-13 members indicted in November 2011. As part of his plea, he admitted that he was in MS-13’s Normandie clique, and that, after consulting with an incarcerated member of MS-13 in El Salvador, he ordered the murder of Louis Membreno-Zelaya, which was committed by other MS-13 members. Membreno-Zelaya, 27, was found, stabbed to death, on Nov. 6, 2008, in Northwest Washington.

In his plea, Gil-Bernardez admitted that MS-13 is a transnational criminal street gang with a presence in at least 20 states and the District of Columbia, as well as many Central American countries, including El Salvador and Honduras, which is Gil-Bernardez’s country of origin. According to court documents, members of MS-13 use violence and intimidation to protect the gang and enhance its reputation. The gang is involved in murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion and obstructing justice through the intimidation and threatening of witnesses.

In addition to ordering the murder of Membreno-Zelaya, Gil-Bernardez also admitted today to shooting a person whom he believed to be a rival gang member in April 2008. The victim was shot five times and hospitalized for a week after undergoing life-saving surgery.

Finally, Gil-Bernardez admitted to murdering Luis Chavez-Ponce, 22, July 29, 2008, in Riverdale Park, Md., believing Chavez-Ponce to be a rival gang member. Gil-Bernardez stopped one of the other MS-13 members from chasing after the victim, who was on a bicycle. Gil-Bernardez chased Chavez-Ponce around the corner of a building and fired several shots, killing him.

The gun which Gil-Bernardez used in the murder of Chavez-Ponce was determined to be the same weapon used in the shooting of three people in Reston, Va., in October 2008, to which Gil-Bernardez also admitted. His 80-year sentence in Virginia is a result of those crimes, which were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. This latest plea is one of several by MS-13 members in recent months in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

This case was investigated by ICE, MPD, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department and Fairfax County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura Gwinn, of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar R. Mohanty and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill O’Malley.

Latin Kings Street Gang Member Sentenced for Racketeering, Conspiracy, and Gang Crimes

December 4, 2012blogarrest, assault, ATF, Chicago Police Department, DEA, DOJ, drug trafficking, drugs, FBI, gang crime, gang member, gang violence, homicide, HSI, ICE, illegal firearms, Latin Kings Gang, murder, narcotics, National Gang Intelligence Center, racketeering, weapons traffickingAlex Meyerovich

A Latin Kings streetgang member was sentenced Wednesday, November 28, 2012, to 15 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy and other crimes in support of the gang. Two other gang associates were sentenced Monday, November 26, 2012, on related charges. These sentences were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana.

The sentences resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the National Gang Intelligence Center; Chicago Police Department; and the Indiana police departments of East Chicago, Griffith, Highland, Hammond and Houston.

David Lira, aka “Flaco,” 39, of Chicago, was sentenced Nov. 28 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty July 13 to racketeering conspiracy. Gang associates Bianca Fernandez, 23, and Serina Arambula, 23, both of Chicago, were sentenced Nov. 26 to 36 months and 21 months in prison, respectively. U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano, Northern District of Indiana, imposed the sentences.

Fernandez pleaded guilty Aug. 8 to conspiring to murder in aid of racketeering. Arambula pleaded guilty Aug. 7 to withholding information on a murder.

According to the third superseding indictment filed in this case, the Latin Kings is a nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States. The Latin Kings is a well-organized street gang that has specific leadership and is composed of regions that include multiple chapters. The third superseding indictment charges that the Latin Kings were responsible for more than 20 murders.

Also according to the third superseding indictment, the Latin Kings enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, assault and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the Latin Kings. Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, including taking on assignments often referred to as “missions.”

During his guilty plea proceeding, Lira admitted to being a Latin Kings member at an early age. He also acknowledged he was aware that the Latin Kings, specifically some of his co-defendants, distributed more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana over the course of the racketeering conspiracy.

Lira also acknowledged that on Feb. 24, 2007, Jose Zambrano, a regional enforcer for the gang, and other Latin Kings members dropped two firearms off at Lira’s residence in Lansing, Ill.The next evening, Zambrano and the others returned to retrieve the weapons from Lira before riding to the Soprano’s Bar in Griffith, Ind., where they gunned down and killed two rival gang members.

Fernandez admitted in court that on Nov. 26, 2006, at the direction of a Latin Kings member, she accompanied two members of the rival Latin Dragons gang to Jackson Park, Ill., near La Rabida Children’s Hospital on the south side ofChicago. Fernandez also admitted to making arrangements for Latin Kings gang members to meet them at the location, where those gang members shot the Latin Dragons gang members, killing one. Fernandez admitted that when interviewed by Chicago police, she concealed the true nature of the murder.

During her guilty plea proceeding, Arambula admitted accompanying Fernandez and the Latin Dragon members to Jackson Park, and providing false information to Chicago police regarding the identity of the shooters.

Twenty-three Latin Kings members and associates have been indicted in this case; 20 have pleaded guilty; one was found guilty following a jury trial; one awaits trial; and one remains a fugitive.

Joseph A. Cooley of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and David J. Nozick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case. Andrew Porter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois provided significant assistance.

The third superseding indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants who have not been convicted are innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.